Images: Friday Veterans Day Activities in the Suburbs

Standing Friday at MacArthur Middle School in Prospect Heights for recognition of his service, Dutch DeGroot of Mount Prospect is an Army veterean of Vietnam and the Air Force in Desert Storm.Bill Zars | Staff Photographer

Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1337, from left Howard Richardson of Mount Prospect, Charles Ohrn of Rolling Meadows and Ron Westrom of Mount Prospect salute the colors at the Veterans Day breakfast and assembly Friday at MacArthur Middle School in Prospect Heights.Bill Zars | Staff Photographer

Eighth graders Joey Salemi and Natalia Zielinski, both of Prospect Heights, play with the orchestra at the Veterans Day breakfast and assembly Friday at MacArthur Middle School in Prospect Heights.Bill Zars | Staff Photographer

Seventh grade teacher Kim Brunner invited her father Edwin Obrachta of Huntley at the Veterans Day breakfast and assembly Friday at MacArthur Middle School in Prospect Heights. Obrachta served in the Navy during the Korean War.Bill Zars | Staff Photographer

Art Ellingser of Arlington Heights, a Navy veteran of both the Korean and Vietnam Wars, stands while Anchors Aweigh is played at the Veterans Day assembly Friday at MacArthur Middle School in Prospect Heights.Bill Zars | Staff Photographer

Eighth graders Ashley Boldt of Arlington Heights and Joey Knapik of Prospect Heights speak of the flag at the Veterans Day assembly Friday at MacArthur Middle School in Prospect Heights.Bill Zars | Staff Photographer

The choir sings The Star Spangled Banner during the Veterans Day assembly Friday at MacArthur Middle School in Prospect Heights.Bill Zars | Staff Photographer

Marine veteran Bill Talbot of Elk Grove Village and Navy veteran Jerry VanBladel of Cary talk at the Veterans Day breakfast Friday at MacArthur Middle School in Prospect Heights.Bill Zars | Staff Photographer

Seventh grade student Nicole Guest of Arlington Heights talks with Dennis Kersting of Des Plaines a veteran who served on the U.S.S. Rigel during the Vietnam War.Bill Zars | Staff Photographer

The Wheeling High School ROTC Cadets present the colors at the Veterans Day breakfast and assembly Friday at MacArthur Middle School in Prospect Heights.Bill Zars | Staff Photographer

USMC Corporal Patrick Hood of Chicago visits with his former teachers Jodi Hernandez, left, and Athena Lalaras at the Veterans Day breakfast and assembly Friday at MacArthur Middle School in Prospect Heights.Bill Zars | Staff Photographer

MacArthur Middle School students and staff give a standing ovation to the veterans at the assembly in their honor Friday in Prospect Heights.Bill Zars | Staff Photographer

While being honored, Dennis Enneking hugs his thirteen-year-old son Joe, during the Geneva Middle School North annual Veterans Day assembly. Enneking served in Vietnam .Brian Hill | Staff Photographer

Seventh-grade student RJ Jacobson interviews Elmer Hoskins of Wildwood of VFW Post 8741, for his social studies class, after a Veteran's Day breakfast and program at Hawthorn Middle School in Vernon Hills.George LeClaire | Staff Photographer

Veterans Day breakfast and program at Hawthorn Middle School in Vernon Hills on Friday, November 9, 2012.George LeClaire | Staff Photographer

A Hawthorn Middle School sign welcomes veterans for a Veterans Day breakfast and program at the school in Vernon Hills on Friday, November 9, 2012.George LeClaire | Staff Photographer

Seventh-grade student Nick Khaytin interviews Tony Kennedy of Libertyville of VFW Post 8741, for his social studies class, after a Veteran's Day breakfast and program at Hawthorn Middle School in Vernon Hills on Friday, November 9, 2012.George LeClaire | Staff Photographer

296 flags in a memorial field at West Aurora High School were just a part of the 1850 flags on display for Veterans Day. Larry Eckhardt, aka "The Flag Man" of Little York, IL, travels with up to 2280 flags, depending on how much he can haul to a destination. The next stop for these flags will be in Newburgh, IN, on Saturday.Laura Stoecker | Staff Photographer

Army SPC Ben Stoller of Aurora speaks with veteran Herschel Luckinbill of Montgomery before the start of West Aurora High School's Veterans Day celebration on Friday, November 9.Laura Stoecker | Staff Photographer

Mary and Bob Patterson are comforted by Brigadier General Brian Copes, Joint Chief of Staff with the Indiana National Guard, as they watch a video tribute to their late son and West Aurora High School alumni, SPC Christopher Alexander Patterson, at West Aurora High School's Veterans Day celebration on Friday, November 9. Patterson was killed on January 6.Laura Stoecker | Staff Photographer

Three flags representing deceased soldiers and West Aurora alumni, fly with 293 other flags in the memorial field at West Aurora High School for Veterans Day on Friday, November 9. From left to right, Marine 1st LT. Timothy Louis Ryan, died May 19, 2003 during Operation Iraqi Freedom; PFC US marine Corps. Nicholas F. Howe, died October 21, 2005 while serving in Iraq; and SPC Christopher Alexander Patterson, died January 6, 2012 serving in Operation Enduring Freedom.Laura Stoecker | Staff Photographer

WWII Army veteran Delmar Gerth of Montgomery smiles while the band performs "America the Beautiful" during West Aurora High School Veterans Day celebration .Laura Stoecker | Staff Photographer

WWII veteran Warren "Red" Dixon of Aurora speaks with Norvilla and WWII vet Eugene Copes of Blooming Grove, IN, before the start of West Aurora High School's Veterans Day celebration on Friday, November 9. The Copes' son, Brigadier General Brian Copes, Joint Chief of Staff of the Indiana National Guard, was a guest speaker at the event.Laura Stoecker | Staff Photographer

Illinois Sate Senator Chris Lauzen gives a thumbs up to soldiers at West Aurora High School's Veterans Day celebration.Laura Stoecker | Staff Photographer

The flag for Army SPC Christopher Alexander Patterson flies in a memorial field with 295 other flags at West Aurora High School. Patterson was a West Aurora graduate. A total of 1850 flags were on display on the grounds of the school.Laura Stoecker | Staff Photographer

Brigadier General Brian Copes, Joint Chief of Staff of the Indiana National Guard, speaks at West Aurora High School's Veterans Day celebration.Laura Stoecker | Staff Photographer

Brigadier General Brian Copes, Joint Chief of Staff of the Indiana National Guard, introduces himself to WWII veteran Warren "Red" Dixon of Aurora at West Aurora High School's Veterans Day celebration .Laura Stoecker | Staff Photographer

Mary Malone, 15, and Eddie Sailer, 16, help take down flags in front of West Aurora High School after the school's Veterans Day celebration.Laura Stoecker | Staff Photographer

Students head to class at West Aurora High School as the sun rises on Friday, November 9. 1850 flags were on display all around the school campus, including 296 flags in a separate memorial field with the names of soldiers killed in action, the date they died and where they were serving.Laura Stoecker | Staff Photographer

Korean war Navy veteran Ron Altman of Batavia reflects as Danny Boy is played on the bagpipes during West Aurora High School's Veterans Day celebration. Altman is from the Air Classics of Aviation Museum in Sugar Grove.Laura Stoecker | Staff Photographer

Mary and Bob Patterson watch a video tribute to their late son, SPC Christopher Alexander Patterson, at West Aurora High School's Veterans Day celebration .Laura Stoecker | Staff Photographer

Bob Patterson smiles as he watches a video tribute to his late son, Army SPC Christopher Alexander Patterson, at West Aurora High School's Veterans Day celebration.Laura Stoecker | Staff Photographer

Mary Patterson comforts Zebon Beaver of Crown Point, IN, during West Aurora High School's Veterans Day celebration. Beaver was friends with her son, SPC Christopher Alexander Patterson, and they served in the same squad. Ethan Nichter of Indianapolis, on left, was in the same platoon as Patterson.Laura Stoecker | Staff Photographer

Ian Ruiz shows off a card his kindergarten class made for veterans during a Veterans Day program at Johnson Elementary School in Warrenville.Bev Horne | Staff Photographer

WWII veteran, George Kleinwachter of Warrenville, introduces himself during a Veterans Day program at Johnson Elementary School in Warrenville.Bev Horne | Staff Photographer

Jim Myrick, left, and Roger Gaden, right, with DuPage County Marines, Detachment 399, greet students at a Veterans Day program at Johnson Elementary School in Warrenville.Bev Horne | Staff Photographer

Principal Derick Edwards reads from a plaque honoring veteran Clifford Johnson, who passed away this fall. His widow Fay Johnson, right, and her daughter-in-law Monica Johnson, left, attended the Veterans Day program at Johnson Elementary School in Warrenville . The school is named after Clifford Johnson and a clock will be put up in his honor.Bev Horne | Staff Photographer

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